SF foster youth caught in funding crossfire
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Transitional housing programs that are considered a lifeline for young adults aging out of foster care face funding cuts that could reduce services, local advocates tell Axios.
Why it matters: Roughly one in four foster youth will experience homelessness within four years of exiting the system, according to the National Foster Youth Institute.
State of play: SF Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), which connects foster youth with adult mentors, has lost federal and state funding in recent months, potentially limiting volunteer recruitment and training, said chief operating officer Paul Knudsen.
- Grants for CASA's national umbrella group were terminated in April amid a Trump administration purge of programming it says don't "align" with its priorities.
- Anticipated state budget shifts have also forced First Place for Youth — a nonprofit that provides housing for transition-age foster youth — to turn to private donors, CEO Thomas Lee told Axios.
By the numbers: 34% of unhoused youth reported a history with foster care in 2024, per the city's point-in-time count.
Zoom in: For foster youth, housing assistance is critical once they age out of the system at 21, said Yuki Huang, a SF State student who was placed in foster care at age 12.
- Huang told Axios she cycled through several homes before she aged out and found herself pregnant.
- Now in her early 20s, she was able to secure her current apartment through First Place for Youth, which provides rent-free housing, grocery stipends and employment coaching.
- A decline in funds could lead to layoffs and cuts to that programming, Lee said.
The big picture: The Bay Area's housing affordability crisis poses a significant challenge.
- Only 32% of youth in San Francisco's foster care system actually live here, according to the California Child Welfare Indicators Project.
- Some are placed as far as Fresno or Sacramento, Knudsen told Axios.
- Upon aging out, foster youth in the Bay also have to contend with moving away from their support network to keep a roof over their heads.
What they're saying: Youth who end up homeless are often at higher risk of substance use and crime involvement, Huang noted.
- Maintaining funding through the transition to adulthood "gives us a stable foundation," she said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to remove a sentence that incorrectly reported the amount of a cut proposed in Mayor Lurie's budget.